Writing Strategies

Scaffolding English Writing

Scaffolding English Writing is a strategy that helps ELL students learn the function of word sounds and sentence structure, and the role that they play when writing. Students will see writing modeled by the teacher, and learn how sentences work together to form paragraphs that follow a central idea, and when multiple paragraphs are used together, can create a story or formal writing pieces. This strategy is valuable for all English fluency levels.

Steps:

1. Provide students with a place to store their writing

2. Demonstrate the process

3. Model writing about a student chosen topic

4. Repeat writing practice often

5. Ask students to share writing

6. Reread stories often

7. Provide follow up activities that reinforce writing skills

LAFS.1112.W.1.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Verb Action

Verb Action is a strategy that helps students to understand the correct tense and usage of verbs. Students learning the English language can sometimes struggle with verbs, adding ed on the end or an s that changes the tense into an incorrect form for their sentence. Monitoring of student mistakes is important to know which verbs need to be addressed, as it will not be all verbs that are misused by students.

Steps:

1. Monitor written work to identify misused verbs

2. Plan active experience to practice correct use

3. Collaborate with students to create an irregular verb journal

4. Create a large visual to help students with commonly misused verbs
5, Observe student writing for continued errors
6. Assess learning and effectiveness

LAFS.1112.W.2.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Syntax Surgery

Syntax Surgery is a strategy that can help students understand the grammar and sentence structure of English sentences. By helping students to dissect sentences and what the subject and predicate relationship is, they can begin to assimilate sentence structure into their comprehension and mental framework. Surgery allows the students to manipulate the order of sentences and see how they fit together correctly.

Steps:

1. Identify a problematic sentence

2. Write sentence and initiate "surgery"

3. Rearrange the words

4. Practice with same pattern

5. Assess student progress

LAFS.1112.W.2.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Story Reenactment

Story Reenactment is a strategy that asks students to act out stories after reading them. This can be very beneficial while teaching writing, by have students act out parts of their own narratives, and see where errors have been made. Seeing the story visually rather than just on paper can be great for students to see how words carry real meaning, and that they have literal importance. 

Steps:

1. Write the story

2. Retell the story

3. Gather or make props

4. Use props and movement for retelling

5. Assess the retelling

LAFS.1112.W.4.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Language Focus Lessons

Language Focus Lessons is a strategy that emphasizes the learning of vocabulary and usage for their application to writing. In spending time on how words associate with meaning, students gain an understanding of non fiction writing, and how the word usage is different than in a narrative. This is a valuable tool for upper level English fluency students, who are beginning to accomplish grade level English work.

Steps:

1. Observe and note English errors

2. Gather visuals

3. Explain and model language use

4. Practice with visuals

5. Practice with writing

6. Assess writing

LAFS.1112.W.1.1

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Reference:Herrell, A. L., Jordan, M., & Herrell, A. L. (2012). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners. Boston: Pearson.

Reading Strategies

Microselection-

Microselection is a strategy for students to help find the main idea of long passages of reading. This will be effective for students who struggle with reading comprehension, and will help with independent reading. Microselection starts with small words to help in identifying the main idea.

Steps:

1. Introduce the concept 

2. Model identifying key words

3. Guide student practice

4. Pair students for practice

5. Discuss the procedure

6. Assess student comprehension

LAFS.1112.L.3.6

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Read, Pair, Share-

Read, Pair, Share is a teaching strategy that involves using a partner in the classroom to understand meaning of a passage. Students will collaborate after indecently reading a chapter to help identify the key themes and ideas to be learned from the reading. If the partners cannot answer a specific question, they return to the reading together to form their answer. 

Steps:

1. Introduce question words

2. Model each step

3. Model how to collaborate with a partner

4. Discuss the assignment 

5. Assign questions

6. Assess comprehension of reading

LAFS.1112.RH.2.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text

Writing/Language Arts

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Guided Reading

Guided Reading is a strategy that helps for small groups being taught reading skills. This strategy requires students to comprehend phonics, word order, sentence structure, etc. Along with those skills, self monitoring is key to active student progression through the levels. Guided reading can be very beneficial to students who are at the beginning levels of English fluency.

Steps:

1. Group students for instruction

2. Begin process of book walk

3. Read aloud, while taking turns

4. Pair students of additional practice

5. Teach mini lessons to address strengths

6. Assess skills

LAFS.1112.L.3.4

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers is a strategy that can help students compare and contrast information from stories, or to evaluate different sources of information. This strategy can also be used to compare and contrast characters in a reading. This visual method allows students to manipulate information into an easily accessible medium. Graphic Organizers can be used for all levels of English fluency.

Steps:

1. Identify teaching purpose

2. Explain purpose

3. Involve students in constructing graphic

4. Discuss connections.

5. Provide extra practice with graphic organizers

LAFS.1112.RH.3.9

Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Repetition and Innovation

Repetition and Innovation is a strategy that challenges students to deepen their comprehension of a text by reinterpretation, or through added material as another source of information. This strategy allows the student to go deeper into their reading, through extended time to interpret the meaning and significance behind the author's meaning. 

Steps:

1. Choose a book that will sustain interest over time

2. Play with words

3. Create an alternative text

4. Add supplemental text

5. Create another version of the story.

6. Assess vocabulary and comprehension 

LAFS.1112.RH.3.8

Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

Reference:Herrell, A. L., Jordan, M., & Herrell, A. L. (2012). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners. Boston: Pearson.